Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the New York Knicks by a final score of 109-95 in the first of five Christmas Day games.
From Antetokounmpo making his long-awaited Christmas Day debut to Kevin Knox's performance, here are four takeaways from the game.
A rough shooting game for both teams
Neither team shot particularly well in this one.
The Bucks made only 18.8 percent of their 3-point attempts and 67.6 percent of their free throw attempts. The Knicks shot slightly better from the perimeter (28.6 percent) and free throw line (81.0), but they made only 36.5 percent of their field goal attempts.
The Knicks also turned the ball over 15 teams, leading to 15 points for the Bucks.
The Christmas Day debut of Giannis
Now in his sixth NBA season, Giannis Antetokounmpo made his Christmas Day debut on Tuesday and didn't disappoint.
The front-runner for MVP this season got the game off to a strong start with 13 points (6-11 FG) and nine rebounds in the first half. He also made an impact on the defensive end in coming up with a pair of steals, one of which led to a powerful dunk in transition.
"Poked away by Giannis... COULD BE FUN!" 🛩️😤#FearTheDeer 35#NewYorkForever 31
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2018
6:47 to play in Q2 on @ESPNNBA. #NBAXmas pic.twitter.com/OwDegI2bSU
Antetokounmpo then exploded in the third quarter when the Bucks began to distance themselves from the Knicks. He finished the game with 30 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and four steals.
In the process, Antetokounmpo became the first Buck since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to score 30-plus points on Christmas Day.
The Third Quarter
Antetokounmpo wasn't the only player on the Bucks to play well in the third quarter.
Six different players on Milwaukee got on the scoreboard in the frame. Eric Bledsoe and George Hill each had five points, Brook Lopez, Malcolm Brodgon and Thon Maker each had four points and Sterling Brown chipped in with three points off the bench.
The Bucks outscored the Knicks 36-22 in the third, giving them a double-digit lead that they held on to the rest of the way.
The Rookie Showcase
The New York Knicks are unique this season in that they have three rookies in their rotation in Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier and Mitchell Robinson.
While Robinson missed the game with an ankle injury, Trier scored eight points off the bench after missing seven straight games with a hamstring injury and Knox led the Knicks with 21 points.
Knox shot only 8-for-20 from the field, but he put his versatility as a scorer on display by knocking down a 3-pointer, draining several floaters and getting out in transition.
Kevin Knox steps through in transition for the @nyknicks! #NBARooks#NewYorkForever 39#FearTheDeer 42
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2018
3:14 left in the 1st half on @ESPNNBA. #NBAXmas pic.twitter.com/r0oMqqLqcx
Following a slow start this season, Knox is starting to find his stride in the month of December. Heading into Christmas Day, he was averaging 17.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists over 11 games.
